After a weekend attending at the Rodricks’ BMA “Baltimore, You Have No Idea” and the Ravens overtime win over the Rams, Leonard Raskin joins Nestor to discuss the field of play in baseball where the Orioles are rumored to be purchased by David Rubenstein and the Orioles just spent some money on a closer.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
baltimore, john, great, year, people, american dream, holidays, figure, lee, sell, pay, baseball, family, pappas, crab cakes, income tax, buy, called, good, toronto
SPEAKERS
Leonard Raskin, Nestor J. Aparicio
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:01
Welcome back W and S T Towson Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively cruising into the holiday season with crabcakes and and some charity and some great conversations with friends through the holidays as well as a really good football team really interesting baseball situation right now but potential ownership change which please Santa’s please but if I can’t give you that at least I can give you some scratch off from the Maryland lottery peppermint payouts Oh snaps and if I hold them up the right way yeah the oh here we go the Christmas tree and he unwrapped the cash with a top prize of $5,000 I’ll be giving these away in several places in the coming weeks along with our friends at when donation 866 90 nation you buy two and you get two free 0% financing through the holidays as well as our friends at Jiffy Lube multi care and getting oil changed. Oh all change after doing the Baltimore thing this weekend. Down with Dan Robinson I feel like I’m gonna get my Baltimore accent on while I do this. And I you know I’ll just say this. We’re doing curio wellness and foreign daughter on Friday with Hall of Famer Gina shock from my homeland. Or we’re gonna be given some scratch off sway from 2005 That’s at foreign daughter in Timonium York Road. We’re going to be on Monday in honey go we’re going to be the wise market so timing wise rewards with Derek Fraser was professional wrestler and now manages wise markets which I love and we’re gonna have eggnog crab cakes and it was delicious little stuffed crab with shrimp thing that they have on the menu over there probably some some Ron sub special rice pudding too. We’re going to take advantage of the wise rewards. I’m gonna get me a free ham so my wife can make some ham and bean soup and split pea soup. After the holidays. We’re going to be a fade Lee’s on the 28th of December closing you’re down for the first 1862 Bailey’s is moving into the new Lexington market, beginning of the year gets crabcakes orders in for all of our crabcakes sponsors all the beautiful people that are local businesses that we keep here where we do our crab cakes for otter your crab cakes from any and all of them. This guy’s favorite is Pappas. And I do want to say this We served the family’s crabcakes on Friday night at our friends and family and our sponsor event which some folks couldn’t make it out I used to pizza all of you. But letter Rasky came out on Friday night amongst many other folks. We did this over to PMA with my my my family member John shields gertrudes and my near family member Danny Hahn and the divine family at fadeless. Making crabcakes and royal farms chicken first things first Raskin the chicken disappear before the crabcakes I don’t know what was a quantity issue.
Leonard Raskin 02:42
I think it was a quantity. I think it’s a quantity issue.
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:44
They love ROFO chicken, you know, everybody loves the chicken and I know you’re you know you brag on Pappas and they are sponsored. It’s extraordinary,
Leonard Raskin 02:52
right? They’re
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:54
just all
Leonard Raskin 02:56
got it. They’re great.
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:58
So I need to ask you because I love you your wife Kathy, you guys go to Broadway. You go to New York. You’re hippodrome holders, you’ve seen every you’ve been dragged to every musical like you’ll you know you literally you admit you’ve been dragged to every musical by your wife. Some of them you liked some of them you don’t like give me your review on Dan Ross. What do you tell your friends up at? Work worry about that. I
Leonard Raskin 03:20
thought it was great. We we ditched Moulin Rouge for the wn S T friends and family bash on Friday night and we had a ball. The Roderick show was extraordinary. The guy just hit Baltimore right on the head. He did what an hour and a half. Was it an hour and a half? went by really quickly an hour and a half flew by with just some some real truth about Baltimore. Some major hysterical about Baltimore. Just Funny, funny, you laughed and you cry. I absolutely absolutely stories of, of heart wrenching. People that that were shot and died and the politics of the state and the city and mafia. Yeah. And then. And then just just the malapropisms, the one offs that that people talk about it was it was just hysterical. We were evaporated. There was what was it? There was a bomb threat and we were evaporate or whatever it was and we were evaporated. Instead of evacuated. It was not the heat. It’s the humility. It’s the humility and that’s right. That’s Baltimore. It’s not the it’s the humility. It was fantastic. He did a great job. I encourage people to get down there. I don’t think you can buy tickets, but maybe, maybe they’re for sale on StubHub. I don’t know. No, I
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:47
went to the restroom right after with Bob mascara. Anybody familiar with Bob was on my 25th anniversary did an hour with me. Bob was responsible for all of this Bob was the first person to ever believe in me. He was an editor at the news American he became an editor Sonny became one of my bosses at the sun. I actually introduced them to John Martin to the lottery. And I had lottery, you know, and I said, Hey, John, this is the guy who was my boss when I used to screw up the lottery numbers on the scoreboard page, and, you know, the evening sun in the 1980s and pick everybody off. So I went into the bathroom, I’m washing up with Bob and Bob looks to me like he should take that show to New York, that show should be like that’s a that’s a that’s a it’s a, an American story, right? I mean, it’s an American urban city, newspaper life, tragedy, triumph, but the quirkiness of Baltimore and John Waters, and all the things we love about Baltimore is really on display. And that’s why I’m so thrilled to have people like you there they can really appreciate people love Baltimore.
Leonard Raskin 05:42
Yeah, I think it good. You go national with it, for sure. But he’s a Baltimore figure. And his stories are Baltimore stories. You know, we talked about Friday night, the Billy Crystal show, whatever. 700 700 Sundays, I think it was called about his father, about his his growing up and about his father time with his father and about his growing up. And, and because he’s a national figure, he’s able to take that show nationwide, and have that conversation. Rodricks I don’t know if he’s a national figure if he has a national presence. But surely, he could roll that out. If he wanted to more shows in Baltimore, I’m sure that he could sell out, you know, I don’t know if he can sell at a bigger venue, but certainly more shows.
Nestor J. Aparicio 06:32
Well, the thing for me inviting us I didn’t want to give the plot away. And I said that right and right ahead. I don’t want to talk too much about it other than to say go see it.
Leonard Raskin 06:41
Yeah. What’s it called? It’s called Baltimore. You have no idea you have no idea and and he just laid it out. They’re so smooth so smoothly. It was it was beautiful. It was a great show, like you said, laughed, cried great time. Great, great evening, great people and hanging out with great people. It was good. It was good evening
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:01
was you know, it’s a double entendre of that, that it took me a year to even get. I thought you could say it two ways, right? Like, like Baltimore, you have no idea how right? How much? Or it’s like, Baltimore, you have no idea. You’re out of ideas. Right? Like, like, there’s a little you know, like, it can be taken either way. Rascon is here. I’m wearing the shirt. He’s doing the American dream. It’s the holidays. All right. My American dream and I have forgot this the first time I’ve talked about this. I was in Toronto. I could tell Luke the story. I’m going to tell you this story. I went to Toronto to see Geddy Lee, you knew I was going about it. As I was literally packing at 430 in the morning for my wife to take me to the light rail that didn’t exist to drive me to the airport. instead. Right? Literally, she said Do you have a winter hat? Because you have hoodies? Right you have your Russia buddy? And she’s like, you have like a hat and I’ve only got a hair on a you know, scarf. I did not have a winter hat in my jacket. It hasn’t been cold enough to have one right? No, no, I’m like, No. And I’ve moved in the last year, year and a half and I don’t know where half my winter stuff is right? And I’m like, I need to get a hat. The only hat I could find. That was a winter Ski hat was my free the birds hat. And I grabbed it and I said to Jen literally I’m like, Yeah, free the birds out of play in Toronto. At least your head warm, right put it in the bag. I get to Toronto on their on their six hours and I’m getting bombarded with text. As I’m preparing to go see Geddy Lee that the team like it sold I had dinner with my buddy Brad ganja on the red wine was flying. And I actually had the free the birds had and word was wearing his blue jay stuff. And I gotta tell you this and I told Luke this Geddy Lee had Alex Lifeson on stage. It was this incredible night to be a rush man. And he stopped the whole proceeding three quarters of the way through and had the whole crowd chanting Otani. Oh, good because that’s how bad they wanted him. Right. So
Leonard Raskin 09:05
700 million, you can have a pitch for you. If he ever pitches if he ever pitches again. Yeah, I mean, hit Well, you know, you figure what was it? Tommy John, right. So lots of guys come back from that pitch. So we would assume he’s gonna pitch again, and he’s a heck of a hitter. So So you rent his designated hitter for 700 million for a year or 70 million I guess for the year and that you assume that the next year you’re gonna start picking up the starting pitcher Otani along with the designated hitter Otani, but wow. Dodgers. They jumped. Who was last was a trout at 400. Trout at 400 million. Yeah,
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:45
I mean, the math has never made sense in baseball, where it’s been stepladder and that’s always going back to Charlie Finley and George Steinbrenner. Sort of the original sin of all of it right like the love it is, is that you Can’t I mean you’re no matter who buys this nice fella down the
Leonard Raskin 10:03
road buyer doesn’t matter, you know? Doesn’t matter The fact is they they jumped 400 million 500 million 600 million went right to 700 million for them. And wow, if I’m Japanese all star that can pitch and hit, I’m thinking the next pay day is mine and I’m coming to America. This is the American dream. You want to talk about the American dream. Japanese pitcher who now I’m sure can speak plenty of English. Even with that, you got to remember the the signing there. The Count Well, he was already in California, so it doesn’t really matter. But the 70 million a year he’s gonna give away 40% to the Feds and he’s gonna give away 13% to Gavin Newsom. So so you’re talking 53% He’s gonna get less than half of his salary every year.
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:53
I wonder if it like being a Japanese citizen if he gets whacked when he goes back there?
Leonard Raskin 10:57
Well, generally international law and generally the way it works is you pay tax there’s kind of these treaties stupid things you pay tax in one country deducted off your tax in the other country. I don’t know what Japan taxes are. I couldn’t begin to tell you couldn’t begin to guess. But I do know let’s call it 700,000,010 years with the Dodgers. Now in baseball, it’s kind of weird. Because the the IRS has these rules that you pay tax where you play. So when he plays in Atlanta he’s paying Georgia tax right when he plays in Florida he doesn’t have a state tax. Right but but let’s not kid ourselves. Basically half of its gone. So he’s he’s getting paid 70 million a year he’s getting 35 Now let’s not cry for him. He’s doing okay at 35 mil. But he’s no he’s no popper at 35 mil.
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:50
He’s also no Taylor Swift yet either. No.
Leonard Raskin 11:54
Dragon, she’s cranking into billionaire set.
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:57
Okay, hold on. I gotta stop everything. Let her asking us here he uses Rascon global he manages money in the American dream. He literally when the news broke knows what Carlyle is right? So not every 99% of our audience and I’m in that group does not know anything about Carlyle or any I think know how to pronounce his last name Steen or Stein. So I want to be respectful and try to figure all this out. I figure of all the people when this happened and I looked it up you were telling me you at some whispers in your world. That is Colossus actually said some stuff to me off the air over the last few weeks about this. I’m always I when I see it. Yeah, reporting on it factually this week, but I want to know what you know, and when what? So
Leonard Raskin 12:39
here’s what I believe but it’s it’s a it’s kind of a tongue taxes. Let’s talk taxes. So I, if I’m John Angelo’s right, I’m signing this lease deal. I’m keeping the Orioles until now, I don’t know what they’ve done as a family. I’ve no idea what they’re planning is. But my assumption is that Peter Angelos owns the Orioles. Unless something extraordinary has happened. Peter Angelos owns the Orioles. And as a result of that fact, if John Angelo’s and what’s his brother who’s his brother Lewis Lewis, if if they John by power of attorney document
Nestor J. Aparicio 13:24
today understanding is it’s the mother’s team at this point to control in regard to sale, sale, right, but correct not operations because she can’t buy. Let’s not Jasmine’s call, it’s her call.
Leonard Raskin 13:38
But I think John is the owner. I mean, Peter is the owner. Correct? Here’s my point. Peter, whether it’s mama or John acting on his behalf, sell the team. And from what I hear, again, 1.7 billion, that’s our number, right? Let’s just Let’s just use that number. They bought the team for 170 million a long time ago.
Nestor J. Aparicio 14:00
They bought it for 145. There was 48 million in cash in a 38 million you can I reported on this. That was the 173 came with 45 million in cash. That was the fine,
Leonard Raskin 14:12
that’s fine. Yeah. So here’s what we have in the tax law is a thing called basis. Basis is what you paid for something plus improvements. Let’s say they paid 170 million, let’s just use that number round number. They’re going to sell it for 1.7 billion. So the difference between 1.7 billion and 170 million, or 1.5 3 billion is taxable, as a capital gain. Now under the current federal law, that’s 25% capital gains tax plus about a 4% Obamacare so you can pay for health insurance for all the people that can’t afford health insurance Plus, they live in Maryland, another 8%. So you’re talking roughly four The, let’s say 48%, almost half of the 1.5 and change million is going to the federal government and Westmore. So if I’m selling at 1.5, again, I’m giving away 750. No, a third. I’m given away $500 million in taxes. You with me there? Yes, 100 million. All right, let’s go. Now let’s go two days later, and I don’t wish ill will on anybody. Two days later, Peter Angelos dies. And they sell, they don’t sell till two days later after he passes. In this country, we have an income tax mechanism called a step up in basis. That means that the value of the team in the hands of the beneficiaries is the basis. So now John inherits the team 1.7 billion, he sells it for 1.7 billion, his income tax on sale is zero.
Nestor J. Aparicio 16:11
So you’re saying there’s zero chance this gets sold before Peter dies? In that case?
Leonard Raskin 16:16
No, no, what I’m saying is from an income tax standpoint, the family would be wiser to keep it until Dad’s gone. They’d say $500 million in income tax. Now, again, I don’t know what they’ve structured. I don’t know if they’ve transferred ownership. I don’t know what the estate tax is going to be because the estate tax is going to be 40% of the sale of the value at death. So if he’s got a $1.7 billion estate, the feds are gonna come in and they’re gonna want 40% of that 1.7 million. So you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t, the government’s gonna take a big share of this nut. The fact is the only guy that got out of here without either of those happening was a guy up in New York, named Steinbrenner. And he happened to die just happened to die in a year when there was zero estate tax. So his kids got the step up and basis on the income tax. And Jack Kent cooks kids didn’t get it. Correct. And he got zero estate tax. So they transferred the full value of the Jenkees. To to kids at zero tax cost. The most amazing, fortuitous timing of one’s death in baseball was
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:36
George Steinbrenner. You know he lived his life in that way we let raskins live in his life the right way because he’s a rabid fan right now. Yes, sir. Yeah, I don’t want to skip the lead right I mean, the team’s 10 and three and they’re winning games and we’re all gonna be watching Jacksonville primetime and then San Francisco are the lights on for Lamar at this point right and and how good this could be. How good ro Quan Smith is they have this unlike may zero. There was a great game was a mess. I mean, everything is setting up here. They’re going on the road. To make it amazing. In the next six week,
Leonard Raskin 18:12
people said to me, you’re going you’re going to the game Sunday. Yeah, well, we got rid of our tickets. We sitting out there in the rain. We’re not it’s gonna be a monsoon. Dude, you’re crazy going out there Sunday. It barely rained. It was beautiful. 60 degrees. Gray. Very gray day. It rained hard for three minutes. It was was gorgeous. There was nice little breeze. It wasn’t windy. wasn’t cold. It was misty. So it was kind of annoying. But man, what a game. What a game. I think Lamar played a great game. I haven’t seen him run a two minute drill where he had to score like that. Got points at the end of the half although a field goal instead of a touchdown. Touchdown would have been nicer. But he got a field goal there. One mistake, you know he threw an interception bad bad deal and our center decided to snap the ball where there was nobody looking and I liked him. Arza bugle actually kicked that ball right into the stands. It was beautiful. So if you lose by two you you pinned it on the center. If you lose by seven tile on Wallace, right he was lined up off sides. I guess. The Ravens lining up offsides on fourth down was less egregious than the Chiefs lining up offsides on offense. I think the league is going to jam them. Let’s come back to that in a second here. And then Cylon Wallace out there for the punt because do is is hurt. And what a move me see the guy take off to the left you figure Okay, first raining, catch the ball. Number two. All I’m saying is don’t drop the ball. Then he starts running and I’m thinking hold on to To the ball. Then he almost gets tackled and you figure okay, we’re 20 yards from field goal range. We’re gonna win this game. And then, man, there was 10,000 people there screaming their heads off. No, there was probably 30,000 But screaming their heads off this guy races to the endzone does the obligatory Lamar flip into the endzone my wife’s worried that he hurt his back when he landed. The way he landed on the on the ends in the endzone but wow, no flags. Another thing you’re looking for. Where’s the block in the back? Where’s the holding? And sure enough, a win on a Sunday miserable afternoon against rams team that had won three in a row. And Matthew Stafford looked really good. And I couldn’t figure out how the heck, Cooper cup and who could Akua get open so often. I mean, those guys were running around. Like we didn’t have defense. And we’re lucky they dropped a couple. But boy was fun. What fun on a Sunday afternoon Even in bad weather. It was just fun. And to go home from an overtime win was exhilarating. Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. Morgan State band playing at halftime rockin with the Baltimore Ravens band. It’s a good good Sunday afternoon for the Baltimore fans and then of course, as you say, came home. Got the wet clothes off.
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:29
Yeah, how many can I ask you? You like made a point? 10,030 like in your real estimate. So it’s 30,000 empty seats 30,000 Full kind of Easily.
Leonard Raskin 21:39
Easily half the place was not there never there never never there no definitely came all stayed. That was half the lot lot was empty for tailgating when we walked in the stadium. I’ve never gotten into the stadium so quickly it felt like a preseason games yeah. Oh
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:57
yeah half the place empty half the place I need 360 degree weather either people in this Tashi brand will tell you they have no problem Eric the costume say we’re making more money than we’ve ever paid i i just unfortunate what
Leonard Raskin 22:09
do you what do you count you count sold tickets are you count seats and butts some tickets The game sold out but but seats in the butts and concession was half that’s that’s simple
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:20
letter to take the tickets for three bucks on StubHub because you dollars
Leonard Raskin 22:24
no no I’m talking about the original tickets for some people
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:27
not wanting to go at any price I guess is my brain whether
Leonard Raskin 22:31
dude, it’s just the weather because because the Bengals game was raucous and I’ll tell you what
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:35
the weather doesn’t keep people away in Buffalo or Kansas City even when it’s real weather. Rain dude. Like I mean,
Leonard Raskin 22:43
look, supposed to be a monsoon and and I was thinking to myself, am I going to go to this game and sit out the port? Well, let me give you another another step here. Sunday schedule was tailgate. Ravens in the monsoon. Go over to the days hotel, parked the car after the game, changed the clothes. Andrea Bocelli at cfg. Sunday night. How did he do? How was that? postponed for illness? What? Saturday, five o’clock and email comes I’m sorry, Saturday. I’m not Saturday five says our show is postponed to February because of illness. And I’m thinking oh my goodness, I get to go to football. Come home and watch more football right. Watch the Eagles get killed. Right. Well, first watch the Chiefs bills. Yeah, fun. I’m sorry, listening to Andy Reid and Patrick mahomes whine about officiating is about as it’s so rich. And saying, Oh, we lost this game because of a call in the fourth quarter at the end of the game. A guy’s off sighs never seen that. You’re screwing us. I’m thinking you have got to do what was
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:02
called losing his mind. I thought oh, my mind wide receiver. Yeah, I thought he was losing his mind to see me and cool and I’m thinking you’re going after the official
Leonard Raskin 24:14
site and then he kept it up at the press conference for like a rant. This is what I said to Luke. That was an excuse. That’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:24
a sharp jumping moment for him says likability, write this
Leonard Raskin 24:28
down. He just went down two notches on my ability to win
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:32
the Super Bowl and he’s gonna get a wine commercial.
Leonard Raskin 24:40
And get a cheese commercial.
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:41
With that wine if they beat the Packers with the Packers. No issues with that wine. I
Leonard Raskin 24:46
mean, it was dreadful. It was dreadful. The guy was clearly offsides. It was ridiculous. And I was thrilled for it. Are
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:54
you going to be one of the guys that cobbled together this 13 million to pay? Kimbro Are you okay with this?
Leonard Raskin 24:58
Oh yeah. Okay, you gotta have a ninth inning. You can’t you can’t throw the bullpen you had in the playoffs if you’re gonna win in the ninth inning, you gotta have a closer and you go Felix ain’t here for a year so yeah, you know I’ll go to a game or three again and we’ll pay for some tickets and let’s hope playoffs look better.
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:16
I decided my new bucket list items that go to a an Oreo playoff game in Toronto with Geddy Lee that’s that’s a goal of mine like life goal of mine so I’ll put that on the list. Let Rasky founder Rascon global he handles the American Dream most times i i have your crab claw around you I think I left it in my bag. I will have it with me on Friday at Farr and daughter when I give away the Maryland lottery scratch offs also provided by our friends at tough winter nation and Jiffy Lube MultiCare we will be on Monday wise markets in honey go talking rasslin Eggnog. How delicious the cinnamon ice cream it’s made in Sunbury tastes when it’s on the apple pie during the holidays. So we’re gonna be doing all this wise markets on Monday on the crabcake tour as well as it fails to end the year on the 28th if you are ordering crabcakes from any of our noted, fantastic, awesome sponsors, please get your orders in this week. They need to get it all together. They order product, they want to get it to your fresh, and I’ll shout them all out whether it’s Costas whether it’s Pappas, whether it’s Coco’s whether it’s fake Lee’s even like our friends at Greenmount. Station anywhere you’re ordering them, you can’t do it on December 23. I’m just letting you know. So whatever your favorites are, jump on it. Hit the website, tell them you love us. Tell them you love them. Tell them you love the people you’re sending these crab cakes to it’s such an awesome gift to send someone crab cakes, especially if they can’t get them especially if they’re out of town. Send them a specially
Leonard Raskin 26:44
if they’re out of town and from Balmer Han that’s the big thing when they’re out of town, but they’re from here. They’re missing it. A Mr. crabcakes gotta get him. You gotta get those crabcakes when you’re away. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:58
yeah, and you know, for me, shipping is love. Nothing says like when that box shows up. So we’re here. All right, we’re gifting for the holidays. We’re gonna be talking about that. Gifting cannabis for the very first time in human history. I think legally for adult use. I will be talking about that on Friday. And it’s gonna be a great holiday. I I am just so excited about the possibilities for baseball. With new ownership with a lease with a closer with 101 wins under the belt and a football team. It’s 10 and three and really headed for some very, very good things they can continue in this direction. big test for Lamar Jacksonville big test for the organization on Christmas night in San Francisco. Yes they test for the defense with Miami and then the Steelers and trying to navigate this to get the buy to get the home field advantage to make the Josh Allen’s in the Patrick mahomes Come in here in wine. That would be great. We could do an anti mahomes thing when they come in here. Whining I like that right? We
Leonard Raskin 28:01
could have some cheese with that whine.
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:03
I had some delicious wine up in Toronto with my pal Brad Gan Yone and Geddy Lee everything we’ve done here Dan Roderick, so our friends at fade Lee’s our friends at Coco’s we were with John shields at gertrudes the other day, my family member we were at State Fair and my dear friend, Bill Cole, join us just great, great conversations of holiday gratitude, comedy, a little bit of tragedy but a lot of triumph as well. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. And we never stop talking Baltimore positive
